Use the Restaurant Search feature

Use the Restaurant Search feature

I am very new here, so I have nothing to compare to, but I am having a great deal of difficulty using the Restaurant search. I live just north of Los Angeles and I highly doubt that you've NEVER reviewed restaurants in Pasadena or Los Angeles!

As a former Californian, I used to wonder a bit about the thin coverage of the 'Golden State' myself. But after collecting several editions of the Roadfood/Goodfood books, I began to notice a pattern developing. Basic Roadfood (meat and three's) are fairly rare (no pun) in SoCal. If ever there was a locale that reflected the rainbow of ethnicity similiar to NYC or other Eastern Cities it is SoCal. The ONE major difference in the area is the size (geographically). Where the diversity in NYC is fairly compact, the L A area extends for over 150 miles. This means going out to dinner to a specific type of place may incur a drive of over an hour...or two.. to reach the "special place". If you have shared in the SoCal lifestyle at any time you can understand how the concept of 'distance' affects your dining decisions. A poor example, but the only one that comes to mind here, My neighbors in SoCal lived on the high desert, and worked at L A X. Commute distance=110 miles (one way), Jobs for both him and her were blue collar (delivery truck driver and office worker). They spent 6.5 to 8 hours a day in their car going to and coming from work. No Easterner could understand that type of life!! So it is with the attitude for food... distance is a factor in decision making, and I think it shows in the writings of Roadfood. Now Micheal, Tell me this is all smoke, and that you just don't like L A , hehehe.

Well, thanks for clearing that up! I was beginning to believe that LA was being dissed or something.

I know the greatest little Cuban bakery, Porto's, in Glendale CA (a few blocks from where I live) and a great Middle Eastern-Greek-Italian-Californian restaurant in Pasadena CA, Burger Continental, which execs from my corporate office in Dallas go to whenever they're in town. I'll be glad to do a review soon.

Speaking of commuting, I travel 35 miles each way from Glendale CA to West Covina CA. NO good places to eat in West Covina, that I've found yet.

I remember going to the Velvet Turtle in W Covina for 'special' Sunday Buffets....but it sure wasn't 'roadfood. The closest thing to BBQ from the South was Dan, Dan, The BBQ Man, built in an old Foster Freeze stand out on Valley Blvd. in Bloomington CA. His cookers are on the sidewalk in front of the place and a few picnic tables are there too.

Burger Continental rocks! I think the causes of LA's under-representation are: 1. LA does not have many small off-the beaten-track areas 2) We're kind of at the end of the road. 3) There isn't really famous "LA food" like New Orlean's Po' Boys. Sooo, one of these days I will get off my lazy rear and burn up the keyboard with reviews to even things out. For now, here are some recommendations: M&M's Soul Food on Crenshaw and MLK Blvd. AMAZING YAMS and BBQ chicken! Johnny's Pastrami on Adams East of Crenshaw. Creepy neighborhood, giant, greasy sandwiches make it worth it. Versailles Cuban on Venice East of Sepulveda...unbelievable roast chicken and Cuban black beans. Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles, Hollywood Blvd and Argyle. King's Head Pub Santa Monica Blvd and 2nd St. I'll try to think of more closer to you soon.